Keeping The Planet Healthy Is Something That We Care About
Posted by Tammy Sons on Dec 30, 2015
Plant Green - Restoring America, One Plant At A Time
The North American continent is home to a vast array of plants.
From the southern tropics and deserts to the northern forests there is flora
unique to each landscape. What knits this whole American landscape together is
a heritage, and at the green heart of this heritage is the garden.
To garden is a tradition that can be found anywhere there are plants and
people. It was once a necessity as many families had to maintain a personal
garden to supply themselves with food and medicine. This practice of survival
gradually turned into a tradition of self-sufficiency. The garden became the
epicenter of a heritage, where knowledge of the plants was passed down to the
succeeding generations.
Today, this practice has largely been replaced by industry and technology. Most
people no longer need to garden, their needs being more or less met by the
market. This means that much of the wisdom of the native environment, how to
grow food and the properties of plants has been roughly lost. Yet, there are
still people who gravitate to the garden as a hobby or a way to find solace in
nature.
Now more than ever there is a need to reclaim this forgotten heritage; to
restore this part of America that is perpetually getting shoved under concrete.
Unsustainable practices in the industry have unarguably proven lethal to the
natural environment. Countless unique and valuable ecosystems are being
permanently erased in favor of urban development, which, as we should now know,
is not a sustainable practice that will benefit man on this planet in the long
term.
Plants and trees will forever provide food, medicine and resources so long as
we can cultivate them sustainably. With each herb or tree that is planted, a
little bit of true America has been recovered. Self-sufficiency is a lost
tradition that is cultivated from the land, not an unstable system.
To reclaim this American identity is to rebuild our gardens into flourishing
habitats – one plant at a time. Our gardens can be viewed as a kind of life
insurance plan that extends down the family line. To plant a pecan or walnut
tree is to guarantee a satiating harvest for our children years down the road.
This ultimately means less work for our kids, who inherit an
already-established, thriving and healthy way of life. In the meantime, we can
enjoy the satisfaction of restoring a green America.Red maple and other large trees also helps the planet by providing fresh air.